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[Alyallen]

So what exactly constitutes a hate-crime?

Black teen convicted of school beating By MARY FOSTER, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jun 28, 5:05 PM ET

JENA, La. - A black teenager who once faced attempted murder and conspiracy charges for beating a white schoolmate amid racial tension at their high school was convicted Thursday of lesser charges.

After a prosecutor reduced attempted murder charges this week, an all-white jury found Mychal Bell, 17, guilty of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery, both felonies. The charges could lead to a sentence of more than 20 years; Bell would have faced decades more in prison on the attempted murder counts.

Bell's family and the family of victim Justin Barker, 17, were quiet after the verdict was read. After court was recessed, Bell's father, Marcus Jones, rushed angrily from the courtroom and slammed a door. Deputies detained him in the courthouse lobby briefly but released him after pleas from his family.

Barker's family and LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters declined comment. Tommy Randall, the father of Barker's girlfriend, said he still wonders why Barker was attacked.

"This whole thing is a shame," Randall said. "You got a nice young man that got hurt. And you got a young man whose life will be wasted. It should have never happened."

Bell was among six blacks arrested in the Dec. 4 beating of Barker. The attempted murder charges against him and four others drew protests that the charges were too extreme for the crime.

Prosecutors have not said why they reduced Bell's charges Monday or whether they will also reduce the same charges against the four other teens. Charges against a sixth teen have not been made public because of his age.

Racial tensions in Jena � a town of 2,900 with about 350 black residents � rose in September when students found three nooses hanging from a tree on campus. The nooses appeared after a black student sat under the tree, traditionally used by white students as a gathering spot.

In September, three white students were suspended for the noose incident, but no charges were filed.

Barker testified Wednesday that he was attacked outside the high school gym while his girlfriend was walking ahead of him. Barker said they had turned to avoid a group of black students.

In closing arguments, LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters showed the jury photographs of Barker that showed his badly swollen face with one black eye swollen shut.

Aggravated second-degree battery includes the use of a dangerous weapon, and Walters said the attackers' shoes constituted weapons. As for the conspiracy charge, Walters said Bell took part in the attack with others.

Walters referred to the pictures of Barker's battered face: "Is that simple battery? It is not."

Defense attorney Blane Williams said Walters had failed to prove even that Bell had taken part in a crime. A day earlier, Barker said he had been struck from behind and immediately went unconscious.

"The appellate court now gets a chance to set this right," defense attorney Wililams said.

Williams also sought to raise doubt about Barker's testimony that he still suffers headaches and forgetfulness since the beating. "If I say I have memory loss, can anybody know if I have it?" Williams asked.

[ChimpumCallao]

Hate crimes are crimes commited on the purpose of race/nationality/sexuality etc. I hate you because you are black, white, jew, homosexual etc and i will hurt u.

Hate crime legislature was passed to protect minorities and to discourage racial conflict by providing harsher penalties. I dont really think it can be argued that it was passed to protect heteros and whites from minorities, although black on white crime is much more likley than white on black crime. The stats have already been posted on this board.

Anyway- SURPRISE!- i think its bullsh*t.

Obviously the OP proves my point- a crime is a crime is a crime. Planning to MURDER someone, regardless of the reason, is bad- it does not make the crime any worse if the person is white or black. It should not get greater or lesser punishment.

Plus, there is always a slippery slope- some interacial crimes are NOT hate crimes, they can just be crimes of passion/circumstance...but where do we draw the line?

Anyway, its silly. The color of the person who killed you does not make your life any more or less valuable.

and, like south park said- what crime ISN'T a hate crime????